The Social Media Workgrouphttp://socialmedia.hpc.unm.edu
UNMTue, 03 Mar 2015 17:18:42 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.0.1UNM Bio Kitchen Renovationshttp://socialmedia.hpc.unm.edu/?p=2423
http://socialmedia.hpc.unm.edu/?p=2423#commentsTue, 03 Mar 2015 17:15:13 +0000http://socialmedia.hpc.unm.edu/?p=2423The Biokitchen is in for some upgrades in the next few weeks in preparation for Arts Unexpected April 24th! Last Thursday Russell and Marisa (links) laid down new flooring to the stage. The upgraded Biokitchen, located in the UNM art building courtyard, will feature a solar powered water pump and phone charging station designed by Russell. The Biokitchen is a communal learning and teaching space with a screen that can be projected on, giving teachers and students an alternative to being in the classroom. The SMW has been working with the art department administration to take the Biokitchen and transform it into a place for the UNM art community to come together.

The finished product

]]>http://socialmedia.hpc.unm.edu/?feed=rss2&p=24230Teaching kids at the Balloon Museumhttp://socialmedia.hpc.unm.edu/?p=2404
http://socialmedia.hpc.unm.edu/?p=2404#commentsTue, 24 Feb 2015 18:21:13 +0000http://socialmedia.hpc.unm.edu/?p=2404Last Thursday, the Social Media Workgroup were leaders in “Science in the Sky”at the Balloon Museum. Science in the Sky is a series of talks and hands-on workshops that the Balloon Museum puts on each year for Albuquerque’s elementary school children. For each talk, scientists from the field teach kids about the ever-changing field of science. The Social Media Workgroup presented alongside current and former Sandia Lab scientists about the importance of Solar and wind energy. We showed the kids that outreach and presentation of the scientific ideas can be just as important as the scientific research itself. We had many young artists in the audience, and all were interested and fascinated by the LED panel that we brought in to show the children. After the talks, The children were split up into their classrooms, and visited different stations set up for them to help integrate the knowledge they had just acquired. SMW ran two stations, manned by Social Media Workgroup memebers and Computational Sustainability students. One station involved the kids by taking them to see our installation “skylight” that has been set up in the north-facing windows of the museum since last fall. They were able to interact with the piece, either using their own phones or answering the questions out loud. The other station led by myself, other SMW researchers and students from the Computational Sustainability class was about wind power, and tested out different shapes of pinwheels at different speeds produced by various fans. The children all seemed to enjoy themselves and many were interested in the science and technology behind the activities. We would like to thank Laurie Magovern for inviting us to take part in this great educational experience for the youth of Albuquerque.
]]>http://socialmedia.hpc.unm.edu/?feed=rss2&p=24040Cache Valley Daily Features SMWhttp://socialmedia.hpc.unm.edu/?p=2413
http://socialmedia.hpc.unm.edu/?p=2413#commentsMon, 23 Feb 2015 20:15:09 +0000http://socialmedia.hpc.unm.edu/?p=2413Cache Valley Daily wrote an article on last week about Particle Falls in its latest installation site at USU in Logan, Utah. Cache Valley Daily is a Utah based news site run by the Cache Vallley Media group, reporting on national news as well as interesting local events and stories for the surrounding area.

]]>http://socialmedia.hpc.unm.edu/?feed=rss2&p=24130Particle Falls featured on Hyperallergichttp://socialmedia.hpc.unm.edu/?p=2410
http://socialmedia.hpc.unm.edu/?p=2410#commentsMon, 23 Feb 2015 20:14:07 +0000http://socialmedia.hpc.unm.edu/?p=2410This last week, Particle Falls was featured on Hyperallergic, a website dedicated to highlighting perspectives of the art and culture of our modern world. Hyperalleric is a nationally recognized art centered news source that critiques, discusses an shares multitudes of different art to its readers. The post talks about Social Media Workgroup’s Particle falls, it many iterations as well as some of SMW Director Polli’s other public installations

]]>http://socialmedia.hpc.unm.edu/?feed=rss2&p=24100Poem By Jared Rendon-Trompakhttp://socialmedia.hpc.unm.edu/?p=2400
http://socialmedia.hpc.unm.edu/?p=2400#commentsWed, 18 Feb 2015 23:55:21 +0000http://socialmedia.hpc.unm.edu/?p=2400Jared Rendon-Trompak, the current Social Media Workgroup’s videographer, wrote a compelling poem about his experience with Particle Falls during its installation in downtown Pittsburgh, and SMW felt it fitting to share with our readers and followers.

The people shuffled across the street, down the sidewalk crowds inched toward their destinations. The city was loud, like cars and people could not suppress their urge to exhaust the air. In the sky, the city lights bounce off a fog of sorts. The people went about their lives, unknowingly destroying the very place they called home. The plumes of toxic sludge could be smelt by pedestrians. Tailpipes coughing out fatal emissions and cigarette smoke dancing across fingertips like tomorrow will always bring another tomorrow. The crowds walk unaware, breathing in vast amounts of pollution particulates at a steady rate. How long until we can see what awfulness we are breathing, how long until we realize what a problem we are living with? Fossil fuel burning plants have pumped our ecosystem with an unhealthy dose of corruption. Now people just live with it like a bad case of trickle down effect that we are all dealing with. The crowd shuffles with haste, no time to be late, no time to wait, no time to watch the sky crying.

]]>http://socialmedia.hpc.unm.edu/?feed=rss2&p=24000UPR talks Particle Fallshttp://socialmedia.hpc.unm.edu/?p=2392
http://socialmedia.hpc.unm.edu/?p=2392#commentsMon, 09 Feb 2015 23:58:50 +0000http://socialmedia.hpc.unm.edu/?p=2392Last week, Particle Falls was mentioned on Utah Public Radio discussing what the project is about and how the work interacts with our psyche. There is a three and a half minute segment discussing the work with some interview segments with Andrea Polli, as well as the full length interview by Jennifer Pemberton with Andrea Polli linked into the bottom of the page.

]]>http://socialmedia.hpc.unm.edu/?feed=rss2&p=23920Particle Falls likes Logan, Utahhttp://socialmedia.hpc.unm.edu/?p=2390
http://socialmedia.hpc.unm.edu/?p=2390#commentsMon, 09 Feb 2015 23:55:07 +0000http://socialmedia.hpc.unm.edu/?p=2390Last month, Social Media Workgroup announced that Particle falls was moving from Pittsburgh to Utah State University. Andrea Polli, Eric Geusz and Jared Rendon Trompak installed the piece projecting onto the Caine Performance Hall , with the unveiling on the 22nd of January last month. We were invited to install on the campus by ARTsySTEM as part of the university’s fifth annual arts week put on by the Caine College of Arts within the university. Andrea unveiled and gave a talk on the project to USU students, faculty, alumni and the general public. Particle Falls will be a temporary installation at USU, lasting through April. We are very excited that USU took an interest in what we are doing with the Social Media Workgroup, and were honored to take part in Arts Week. We would also like to thank organizer Mark Koven and ARTsySTEM for letting us be a part of their innovative initiative on science and art collaboration.

Particle Falls installed at Utah State University

]]>http://socialmedia.hpc.unm.edu/?feed=rss2&p=23900CODAworx Features Skylighthttp://socialmedia.hpc.unm.edu/?p=2386
http://socialmedia.hpc.unm.edu/?p=2386#commentsTue, 03 Feb 2015 19:06:12 +0000http://socialmedia.hpc.unm.edu/?p=2386The Social Media Workgroup’s Skylight project was featured on the CODAworx home page last week. The international CODAworx site showcases excellent design and artwork based in architectual, interior and public spaces. The majority of these projects have environmental messages, and CODAworx aims to showcase these large collaborative design efforts to the greater community. They also produce a monthly magazine which showcase the best design and art collaborations from all over the world. check it out at CODAworx.com
]]>http://socialmedia.hpc.unm.edu/?feed=rss2&p=23860Particle Falls featured on Fast Companyhttp://socialmedia.hpc.unm.edu/?p=2379
http://socialmedia.hpc.unm.edu/?p=2379#commentsTue, 03 Feb 2015 17:47:12 +0000http://socialmedia.hpc.unm.edu/?p=2379Fast Company’s website featured an article on the Breathe Project recently, including Particle Falls. Based in Pittsburgh, the Breathe
Project sponsored by the Heinz Foundation provides a way to address communities’ air quality. Particle Falls is one of the focal points in the Breathe Project, and was installed by Polli and SMW researcher Eric Geusz in downtown Pittsburgh last November with documentation by SMW researcher Jared Rendon Trompak. The article also explores the use of the “Breathe Cam” and other aspects of the Breathe Project to raise awareness of air quality and to hopefully invoke political agendas into moving towards a solution.The geographical situation of Pittsburgh, being surrounded by three rivers, nestled in a valley that causes smog to settle easily close to the ground. combined with industry creates extremely dirty air. The aim of both Particle Falls and the Breathe Cam is for the general public to be able to monitor the city’s pollution in real-time, creating awareness for the problem of air quality. Fast Company is a magazine that focuses innovation and design and technology in today’s markets.

]]>http://socialmedia.hpc.unm.edu/?feed=rss2&p=23790SMW Youth Workshop at the Balloon Museumhttp://socialmedia.hpc.unm.edu/?p=2377
http://socialmedia.hpc.unm.edu/?p=2377#commentsTue, 03 Feb 2015 17:41:45 +0000http://socialmedia.hpc.unm.edu/?p=2377This February The Social Media Workgroup will present the importance of Solar Power within New Mexico to over 150 New Mexico youth. These 3rd-5th graders will learn about the potential of solar and wind power, and enjoy a tour of the balloon museum afterwards. Polli, Social Media Workgroup and UNM Computational Sustainability students will make a presentation alongside Charles Hanley from Sandia National Labs.February 12, from 10AM -12PM, with talks and a tour of the balloon museum afterwards.
Reservations are recommended, because it will fill up fast.